Lipids link ion channels and cancer

Membrane voltage connects lipid organization to cell proliferation [Also see Report by Zhou et al. ] How does membrane voltage control cellular proliferation? This is a key but poorly understood step in understanding how dysregulation of the electrical balance in a cell can lead to uncontrolled prol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2015-08, Vol.349 (6250), p.789-790
Main Author: Accardi, Alessio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cancer
Cell growth
Ions
Lipids
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Summary:Membrane voltage connects lipid organization to cell proliferation [Also see Report by Zhou et al. ] How does membrane voltage control cellular proliferation? This is a key but poorly understood step in understanding how dysregulation of the electrical balance in a cell can lead to uncontrolled proliferation and, eventually, to tumor development. Although the phenomenon is well established ( 1 – 3 ), the underlying mechanisms have been unclear. On page 873 of this issue, Zhou et al. ( 4 ) show that persistent changes in the resting membrane potential (the voltage across the membrane of a cell), caused by the uncontrolled expression of ion channels, can cause negatively charged lipid in the inner membrane leaflet to cluster and attract the signaling protein K-Ras, enhancing its ability to promote cell proliferation.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aad0874